FDA Proposes Update to Guidance on Food Safety of Fresh Cut Produce

The Food and Drug Administration released a draft update to an existing guide on minimizing food safety hazards from fresh cut produce. The update includes new information related to recently amended current good manufacturing practice requirements and new preventive controls regulations for human food, FDA said. It applies to fresh fruits or vegetables that have been physically altered from their whole state after being harvested from the field (e.g., by chopping, dicing, peeling, ricing, shredding, slicing, spiralizing, or tearing) without additional processing (such as blanching or cooking). Once finalized, it will supersede guidance issued in 2008, FDA said. Comments are due April 22, 2019.